Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against
"Empire" creator Lee Daniels. The defamation complaint filed on
Tuesday asserts that in Daniels' recent interview with The
Hollywood Reporter, Penn was falsely accused of hitting women by
being likened to "Empire" star Terrence Howard.

"[Terrence] ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or
Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f—in' demon," Daniels
told THR in reference to to Howard's legal
troubles. "That's a sign of the time, of race, of where we are
right now in America."

Lee Daniels.Ben
Gabbe/Getty

Now, Penn has retained former federal prosecutor Mathew
Rosengart, who declined to comment, but referred THR to the first
paragraph of the complaint, which states, "As a result of Penn's
status as a public figure, he has for years been the subject of
scandalous, scurrilous, and baseless attacks. But Penn, like any
citizen, has a right to defend himself and will no longer
tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek
to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense.
Accordingly, and because of Daniels' defamatory statements, Penn
brings this action for monetary relief, and to deter Daniels and
others from their defamatory actions."